Good mentorship is essential for building the next generation of vision researchers.
Eye research is an underfunded area; in 2018, just over 1.5 percent (£24 million) of the £1.4 billion that UK Research and Innovation, government and other public bodies invested in medical research was for eye research. This lack of funding means it is hard to get the brilliant minds we need into the field.
That's why Fight for Sight offers two mentorship opportunities: our UK Vision Research Network Doctoral Training Programme, and our competitive PhD Studentships.
In this webinar we'll be hosting Professor Marcela Votruba from Cardiff University and Dr Monika Winter from Northumbria University, to discuss their perspectives on the importance of mentorship across different research career stages.
This webinar will take place on 21 January 2026 at 12.00-13.00.
"Good mentorship means listening with active feedback and guiding the mentee to reach their own decisions and goals."
About the speakers
Professor Marcela Votruba
Marcela Votruba is a clinician scientist, working as both Professor of Ophthalmology at Cardiff University and Consultant Ophthalmologist at University Hospital Wales. She has spent decades of her career working to understand inherited vision conditions that affect the optic nerve. The optic nerve is bundle of connections from nerve cells in the light sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (the retina).
Over her career she has mentored many PhD students and post-doc researchers. Back in 2012 she received a Fight for Sight PhD Studentship Award as lead supervisor, for a project investigating a potential therapy Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and autosomal dominant optic atrophy.
She was also a co-supervisor on a Fight for Sight-funded PhD Studentship with Professor James Morgan, investigating a potential therapy for glaucoma.
Her current research, funded by a Fight for Sight Project Grant, is advancing our understanding of biological mechanisms of recovery in LHON.
Dr Monika Winter
Monika Winter is an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry in the Faculty of Science and Environment at Northumbria University. She works in vision conditions affecting the optic nerve, including LHON.
She has recently received a Fight for Sight PhD Studentship Award enabling her to build her own lab and mentor her first PhD student, for a project that uses genetic technology to improve our understanding of LHON.
"Navigating the complexities of research can be challenging, and having the right mentorship early in a scientific career is very important in shaping a researcher’s path."
Who will benefit from this webinar?
The session will interest:
- Fellow researchers in the field of ophthalmology
- Potential research funders
- Anyone considering applying for PhD research funding
- Families impacted by sight loss, particularly mitochondrial disorders like LHON
- Anyone curious about research into eye disease
- Early career stage researchers
